Spotlight On: Billie Eilish

Deputy Editor Kat Smith tells us why we should keep an eye on Billie Eilish, a young songwriter and visual artist with undeniable talent

She’s been making waves in the US for over a year, but 16-year-old Billie Eilish is beginning to make her mark this side of the Atlantic. I first heard her on the 13 Reasons Why soundtrack, where her collaboration with Khalid on ‘lovely’ stood out on an already emotional collection of music. Thinking she was merely a helping hand for her already-famous friend, I neglected to listen further. But after ‘when the party’s over’ made its way onto my Spotify recommendations, I was hooked. I can assure you that after hearing a few songs, you will be too.

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With a song-writing prowess and vocal ability many artists can only dream of, Billie demonstrates skill that surpasses her years

With a song-writing prowess and vocal ability many artists can only dream of, Billie demonstrates skill that surpasses her years. And, while a sadness may permeate most of her songs, it’s not draining but hypnotising. Her mixing of personal and universal experience, alongside quirkier lyrics (‘He loves his friends like I like my split ends’ in ‘my boy’ is a particular favourite of mine) makes her lyrics a masterpiece alongside her melodies.

Her discography is cohesive beyond her consistent avoidance of combining uppercase and lowercase letters. But, there’s still a sense of experimentation and playfulness, with the differences between ‘ocean eyes’ and ‘when the party’s over’ proving her progression over a short amount of time. ‘party favor’ and ‘COPYCAT’ on her debut album don’t smile at me further demonstrate the range of sounds Eilish is capable of.

Describing herself as primarily a visual artist, Eilish accompanies her music with haunting videos which stand out for their simplicity and darkness, whether it’s crying black ink or spiders crawling on a crown. Through this, her social media and her style, she’s established a distinct aesthetic which has earned her a loyal legion of fans who can’t be much younger than herself.

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Her discography is cohesive beyond her consistent avoidance of combining uppercase and lowercase letters

Though being four years her senior, and subsequently feeling significantly unaccomplished, Billie is an inspiration not only as a musician but as a visual artist and in her fearlessness in exploring her pain. In the age of social media where the expectations of a celebrity are ever more demanding, I hope she stands the test of time. I’m confident Billie has a lot more to give yet.

'when the party's over' is available now via Darkoom / Interscope. Tickets to see Billie Eilish can be found here.